In-laws help to cause one in three divorces

MEDDLING in-laws are being blamed for an increasing number of marriage break-ups.

Nearly a third of divorces are aided by interfering family and friends

Nearly a third of divorced couples who split on the grounds of incompatibility said their family and friends were partly responsible for their relationship failing.

In a study published yesterday of almost 1,000 divorced Britons, other factors cited by an increasing number of people included snoring, laziness and sex.

According to the research for website DivorceDepot, social media is also becoming a common factor.

As a growing number of adults spend more time attached to their smartphones, tablets and laptops, the amount of quality time couples spend together appears to be dwindling.

More than 34 per cent of those surveyed said that general internet usage and time spent on sites such as Twitter and Facebook, contributed to their marriage breakdown.

Perhaps surprisingly, weight influenced 17 per cent of splits.

The number of divorces in Britain fell by two per cent last year to 128,000.

Snoring has also been listed as one of the causes of divorce

As a growing number of adults spend more time attached to their smartphones, tablets and laptops, the amount of quality time couples spend together appears to be dwindling

Disagreements over sharing household chores contributed to 11 per cent of break-ups, snoring to 28 per cent and jealousy to 22 per cent.

Just under a third (30 per cent) of those surveyed said an affair was the last straw for them.

Meanwhile, selfishness (19 per cent), money worries (eight per cent) and political and religious beliefs (six per cent) were all common complaints.

Susan Eskinazi, a consultant at DivorceDepot, which quizzed 929 people, said: “The reasons for couples parting ways are rarely clear cut and in most cases – with the exception of infidelities – it’s a combination of tensions which can build up over the years that lead to separations and ultimately divorce.”

She added: “Lack of communication at the start of a relationship can be partially to blame as issues such as incompatibility should really be noticed prior to tying the knot.”